Brian Harmon

Campbellites? Nay, Cranmerites!

Posted by Brian May 10, 2007

A long time ago (like a month), JTB asked Episcopalians who are former members of the Church of Christ to answer these questions:

1. Why the Episcopal Church? Why not something closer to home–like Disciples of Christ, for instance? - Well, the first church I was a member of after the CofC was not an Episcopal one, but a Metropolitan Community Church. After I left there, I limited my options to churches which (a) celebrated Holy Communion every Sunday and (b) were gay friendly. It just doesn’t seem like I’ve been to church if there was no Eucharist. In Little Rock, this pretty much meant my options were Episcopal churches, and one of the Disciples congregations. I visited the Disciples church. They were nice, but they were also tiny. And I’d gotten a taste of liturgy in MCC. I visited Episcopal churches and fell in love with the liturgy.
2. How many other churches did you check out before choosing the Episcopal Church as home? - After MCC, I actually did also visit an ELCA congregation. In another town, I totally could have ended up in the ELCA. But the Sunday I happened to visit this particular congregation, the sermon was a rant against the bishop for being too soft on the gays. My four or five gay friends and I who were visiting that day decided not to come back.
3. What continuities do you see between the Episcopal Church and Churches of Christ? - Both churches emphasize baptism heavily (in different ways, obviously). Both churches tend to be really proud of themselves and a bit arrogant sometimes. Both churches have lots of great people in them who really want to follow Jesus.
4. What was the last theological/doctrinal “hurdle” to overcome in joining the Episcopal Church? - I’m kind of freaked out by the Bishop Spong wing of the church. Though I don’t think that wing is as big as the detractors of the Episcopal Church make it out to be. It was weird at the beginning to go from being liberal-amongst-conservatives to conservative-amongst-liberals. I also occasionally have a twinge of uneasiness about infant baptism, though that really wasn’t a hurdle to joining.
5. Aren’t vestments cool? - Totally. Love them! (Though not the ones KJS wore at her consecration. I hated those. I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person…) Also cool - incense. Though we never use it at St. Michael’s.
6. How long have you been Episcopalian? Do you still maintain any CofC ties? Does your family pray for your salvation or are they cool with your Episcopalian-ness? - David and I were confirmed at Easter 3 years ago, I think. I don’t really have any CofC ties any more. I do still have friends who are CofC members. When I was growing up, my immediate family were not the sort of CofCers who fear for anyone’s salvation just because they aren’t members of the CofC. If they’re worried about my salvation, it’s probably for other reasons, not my Episcopalianism. Though I think my Dad is flirting with Christian universalism, anyway. I’m sure my family prays for my salvation in the wholeness/holiness/healthiness sense of the word, if not the get-out-of-hell sense of the word. Which is a good thing. Mom and Dad have come to church with me several times (both at St. Michael’s and at the MCC). I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my extended family does pray for my get-out-of-hell salvation.
7. Have you met many other former CofCers? Why do you think so many turn to the Episcopal Church when they leave the CofC? - Yes, there are lots of them at St. Michael’s. I think a lot of people leave the CofC in despair of the legalism/New-Testament-as-rulebook and we’re-the-only-Christians attitudes they found there (not that all CofC congregations display those attitudes). If you just go by those two characteristics, the the Episcopal Church is pretty much the opposite of the Church of Christ. (Again, realizing that there are some ecumenical-minded CofC congregations. And some legalistic Episcopalians - though most of them are leaving for Nigeria, I think. (OK, yes, there are legalistic “liberal” Episcopalians, too.))
   
8. Give us your vote–do we baptize Clare as an infant or not? (Not that sacraments are a matter of majority rule or anything…) - this one is tough for me. I think infant baptism is right in that it implies unconditional grace. But I think adult baptism is right in that it implies a definite commitment to be a disciple of Jesus. I can’t vote. I’ll probably still be struggling with this question if I ever have any kids.